Match Report – NED vs SA 16th Match, Group D, June 08, 2024

Miller and Stubbs added 65 for the fifth wicket to raise them from the pits of 12 for 4 on a pitch that did not play wherever as badly because the scorecard urged, although there was sufficient in it for fast bowlers – 13 of the 15 wickets fell to them, whereas there have been two run outs.

Ultimately, in a recreation the place 209 runs have been scored in 38.5 overs, South Africa gained with sufficient to spare.

Vivian Kingma struck twice within the powerplay•AFP/Getty Pictures

The South African meltdown

Miller and Stubbs take over

Each Miller and Stubbs are instinctive batters who love taking the bowlers on. However the scenario they walked out to was not for that kind of batting, it was a disaster. A mis-step might have meant curtains. In order that they selected warning, noticed off the powerplay with none additional harm, and hit solely an additional two boundaries till the ten-over mark to go away South Africa needing 72 off the final ten overs.

Stubbs was on 9 off 21 at this level, struggling to pressure the tempo, particularly when the ball was dug in to the pitch. A touch of grip for the spinners additionally made it troublesome for him to hit out. So when Bas de Leede got here on within the eleventh, Stubbs gave him the cost and loved an enormous slice of luck as a thick inside edge flew broad of the midwicket fielder.

Miller, too, rode some luck. An enormous hit down the bottom off left-arm spinner Pringle solely simply eluded the long-on fielder within the twelfth over with South Africa nonetheless needing 57 off 50.

Stubbs lastly shrug off the stress that had constructed round him with a hoick for six off Vikramjit Singh, after which launched van Beek down the bottom three balls later to show the tide South Africa’s approach.

David Miller and Tristan Stubbs placed on a match-winning 65-run stand for the fifth wicket•ICC/Getty Pictures

Miller lands the ending blows

It ought to have been a easy experience from there, with South Africa needing 29 off 30. However there was one other twist. First, Paul van Meekeren delivered a maiden over to Miller, and the stress confirmed when Stubbs holed out to deep midwicket within the subsequent, off Bas de Leede. Then, within the 18th, van Beek got here again after being walloped for six by Miller to dismiss Marco Jansen.

However, with South Africa needing 16 off 12, de Leede erred in line. Miller started the penultimate over by dispatching a half-tracker over high-quality leg, after which completed the sport with a sequence of two, 0, 4 and 6 – cue a roar and wild fist pumping.

Miller had tamed the demons of Adelaide 2022.

Sybrand Engelbrecht top-scored for Netherlands after strolling out at a ricky time•ICC/Getty Pictures

Engelbrecht props up Netherlands

It got here right down to Englebrecht’s affected person knock and his 54-run affiliation with van Beek to get them into three figures. It might have been insufficient on most days, however Netherlands can provide themselves a pat on the again for making a match out of it to maintain Group D very open.